Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-11-10

for the occasion, with square plat
form, on which her twenty boys could
sit comfortably in circle without
being crowded. There were fifteen
rows of benches for the audience to
occupy, each bench seating about ten,
and they were all well filled with the
boys parents and friends, who had
come either to congratulate or condole |
with them.
Miss Belcher, with her roll of words,
sat in high chair TO one side, facing
the audience, while on table beside
her were the two dictionaries, Web
ster and Worcester, SO that there could
be no dispute over the different ways
of spelling the words.
She was a very stiff, middlc-aged
lady, with light curls, and looked ex-
ceedingly stern; but she was by no
means disagreeable, and the boys all
liked her immensely. She was gener-
ally spoken of as being "crisp and
abrupt, but undeniably just"
At eight o'clock precisely Miss Bel
cher tapped bell, and it Immediately
commanded silence. Then, smiling,
and shaking her curls, she leisurely
unrolled her manuscript and turned to
the boys
Il hope, my dear pupils began
Miss Belcher, in her sharp, quick voice,
"that you will all do me credit this
evening. hope particularly that you
have all studied, and though you all
can not win, it will be plain to both
myself and the assembled audience
here, who have been the studiOus ones.
On other occasions of the kind, more
through chance than any thing else,
my most indolent pupi!ewon the prize.
Then there was no studying allowed.
Now we shall see."
And, smiling more broadly than ever,
Miss Belcher gave her curls another
shake
BY some unlucky chance Philip was
number one. How he got there he
never knew, but he would have pre-
ferred greatly to have been anywhere
else. So much was expected of head
boy, and he looked little enviously at
Fred, who was number sixteen or seven
teen.
"Number one-twelfth"
And Phil positively jumped, SO sharp
and sudden was the little word said.
1t was like Miss Becher to hurl word
at fellow like that, and he felt very
indignant but catching the eyes of
the audience beginning to twinkle as
he hestated, he spelled it quickly, and
was rather surprised to hear the same
: sharp voice say Correct" he was
SO certain lie spelled it wrong.
) The fifth boy failed on Forty" and
went shame faced outside the circle.
Phil laughed to himself, and won,
dered why She boy should blush. He
would not have cared. The boy was
scared, no doubt, and knew how tc
spell the word well enough.
l At the end of the second round, six
| boys had failed, but Fred still kept his
: place, and was now only few chair;
from Phil, who became more nervous
: at each word that fell from Miss
Belcher's firm lips.
+ Number one again-gensdarmes!
f "What was the word, please, Miss
S BelcherP"
!; Miss Belchcr repeated it, while ;
a faint smile hovered about her mouth
v She was waiting for Phil to fail, being
: we'll acquainted with his lazy habits
n and did not pity him in the least.
ut means color, here in Ameri
S Ca" she explained, as Phil still hesi
e tated-"the color of the uniform worl
by policemen in France"
But poor Phil made no attempt t,
d spell it. As far as he could think
l. with all that stare of eyes upon him
y he had never heard the word, and fel
/ exceedingly indignant at Miss Belche
is that she should ask him to spell
h French word. forgetting that she hat
l said she Included any word of ord
" nary use"
II ''Do you give it upP' asked Mis-
If Belcher.
" And then, with a bold attempt s
It any thing, Phil stumbled over som
r letters, knowing all the time he wa
le wrong, and then, second later
ceased to wonder why the first DO
il had blushed when he stepped out {
1t the circle.
l. Phil watched Fred enviously, &
A; round and round the decreasing circl
went Miss Belcher, and still he kel
&c his seat. He could not say his worC
id were easy, either, for he spelled on
lie correctly that poor Phil would n,
have known what letter to begin with
Iy At the. end of the seventh round onl
three boys were left Fred anon
5. them, and stealinga glance in anon
g. the audience for his mother, Phil sa
ip her watching Fred with pleased, a.
lie proving eyes, and felt terribly ashamt
to of himself and very much abused.
E. This feeling had to wear off befo
hit Phil had learned his lesson. He WI
at too proud now to acknowledge even
to himself that he deserved all he receive
At last Fred sat alone, so far the wi
ly ner and Miss Belcher, who had 8
IL ways liked Fred and knew him to
ry studious and deserving, picked o
IN three of the easiest remaining wor
of for him to spell, and then calmly ro
of ing up her manuscript, arose from h
n high chair and held out her hand in CO
ne graduation.
he There was great applause then, ev'
ty if there was a regretful feeling (
ar those who had lost, and if ever Fred
Id cheeks burned they burned that nigf
when, with her stiff. old-fashion